Leisure Pursuits In Debrecen (Hungary)
1. SMALL WORLD GAME CENTER :
When parents find it difficult to curb the endless flow of children’s energy, entertainment complexes come to the rescue. In them, children can run, jump, have fun to their heart’s content – in general, independently diversify their leisure time. There are such centers in Hungary, too. One of them is Small World in Debrecen. On 4 floors of the building with an area of 420 sq. m. there is a real play paradise for children. There are interactive rooms with educational toys, temporary exhibitions. In the educational and play complex, the emphasis is placed on developing the creative abilities of the child.
There are no employees on the territory who would dictate the script – the children themselves come up with games, thereby developing their imagination and communicating with each other. The rooms contain all kinds of toys from which you can assemble anything you want, and rebuild the parts in any way. A large area with tables and chairs is reserved for Playmobil – large play sets with construction set elements. Here, children will find their favorite Lego characters and choose a specific theme set for the game: a police or fire station, a farm, a pirate team, space adventures and much more. Neither toddlers nor older children will get bored in the entertainment complex. One room is equipped for children aged 1 to 3 years, and in the rest, children can play alone or with adults.
Even parents will not be left out, getting into the world of toys and competitions. A visit to the art exhibition will be useful for those who love art, and the most active will appreciate the indoor mini-golf course – all family members will get excited, competing for the championship. The complex has storage lockers where you can leave all those things that will distract from active pastime. What is noteworthy, adults are given changeable textile shoes, so the territory is always clean. Children only need to put on socks – the building has heated floors. The Small World play center organizes birthday celebrations upon request – the event lasts 2 hours. This is a great solution if you have come on holiday with your small company and want to entertain the children. Here you will be offered a themed celebration in a separate room with costumes and games, and all participants will receive pleasant gifts.
2. SIGHTSEEING TRAIN IN HAJDÚSZOBOSZLÓ:
There is hardly a child who would not like to travel by train! That is why children’s railways and sightseeing tours by train are so popular in the world. The Hungarian resort of Hajdúszoboszló is no exception. The sightseeing train began running here in 2004. These trips quickly became popular among locals and visitors to the city, and today tourists have two trains with several carriages at their disposal. They take their passengers “on board” near the main station of the city opposite the main entrance to the thermal resort, the sightseeing tour lasts about half an hour. Its frequency is once an hour from 10:00 to 18:00, and then – once every 20 minutes.
The last train departs at 22:40. The tour is accompanied by an audio guide, however, only in Hungarian. Information is also available in English, but in this case the passenger will have to download a special application to their smartphone or tablet, which is distributed free of charge through the Play Market. For even greater convenience for excursion guests, there is free Wi-Fi in the train carriages. For people with disabilities traveling in wheelchairs, there is a convenient lift into the carriages. It is not necessary to travel the entire circular route by train – you can get off not only at the final destination, but also at one of five stops: in the historical center of the city, near the Catholic church, at the campsite, at the go-kart track, near the museum. The excursion train can be rented for a birthday, wedding and any other private and corporate events. Group excursions are often held, which is especially popular during school holidays.
3. MANÓVÁR GAME CENTER :
Manóvár is a game center where children of all ages will find something to do to their liking. When vacationing with a child in Debrecen or nearby resorts in Hungary, be sure to drop in sometime to arrange a “fasting” day for young travelers. There are many complexes for active games on its territory. There are large trampolines, rubber jumping horses, bright labyrinths with slides and lots of toys. The complex with an area of 290 sq. m. is completely at the disposal of children! The youngest visitors will appreciate the abundance of toy transport, which is freely available – you can safely arrange mini-races of tractors and cars on bright carpets.
Children over 2-3 years old will be delighted by the high labyrinths, occupying all the space from the floor to the ceiling. Visiting such places not only promotes a good mood, but also develops agility in the child, because during the game he overcomes many interesting obstacles. All materials are safe, the labyrinths are fenced with a net, so the risk of injury is minimal. Middle-aged and older children will enjoy shooting foam balls from a giant vacuum cleaner. Girls will not be left indifferent by the large doll house. The youngest visitors can visit the play areas with their parents. Four huge inflatable trampoline castles with interesting entrances and exits, animals and steep slopes will win everyone’s heart.
Their sizes reach 7-12 meters! You will need to pay separately for the trampolines, in addition, there are restrictions on the number of children who can jump at the same time. If the child is able to entertain himself, adults have the opportunity to drink a cup of tea or coffee in the cafe on the territory, looking through magazines. This play center in Debrecen is ideal for active fidgets who cannot sit still for a minute, in addition, even the smallest ones will find activities here. There is a mandatory requirement – all children must wear socks in the play areas. There is another complex in Debrecen – Small World, which has an educational and playful focus. It does not have bright trampolines and labyrinths, but there is an area with disassemblable toys that you can assemble at your own discretion and come up with your own entertainment.
4. BELL HOUSE:
In 2000, the Bell House in Hajdúszoboszló was opened, which quickly became popular with locals and visitors to the city. Both adults and children will find it interesting. The House displays unique products, some of which are the creations of the famous bell casters Edith Oborzil and Tibor Jenei. The Bell House is located in St. Stephen’s Park and is open to visitors at any time of the day. The building itself is unique. This open round structure is considered the youngest architectural landmark of Hajdúszoboszló. Its creator, architect Zoltan Rácz, thought through every detail when developing the project.
Thus, the four supports symbolize the four cardinal directions and the four seasons. In general, the building itself, according to the author’s plan, symbolizes the Carpathian basin, into which four springs flow, flowing from under the roots of painted trees with images and text written in runic script. There are three of these trees, each with its own name – Turulo, Soul Bird and White Deer. The first tree symbolizes the Hungarian nation itself, the second – the ability to revive, and the third – earthly aspirations and heavenly values. But if the trees are more interesting to adults, then children will not be able to tear themselves away from the bell exhibition. They are especially interested in two of them – the ancient World and Kölcsey, but every other bell in the museum is unique. Almost every one of them has a quote from the works of famous Hungarian personalities.
5. ISTVAN BOCSKAI MUSEUM:
A visit to the István Bocskai Museum is included in almost all sightseeing tours in Hajdúszoboszló. You can get here on a sightseeing train that runs around the resort. It is located in the center of the old part of the city on a street named after this legendary Hungarian figure. István Bocskai was a representative of an old Hungarian noble family, served as chancellor to the Transylvanian prince Zsigmond Batory, and in 1604 led the anti-Habsburg uprising in Upper Hungary (today these lands are located on the territory of modern Slovakia) and later became the prince of Transylvania.
Usually, the so-called “one-man museums” are not very popular with children, but this establishment will be an exception to the general rule. Moreover, in addition to the exhibition dedicated directly to István himself, there is a lot of interesting things here. Are you planning a vacation with children in Hajdúszoboszló? Be sure to include a visit to this establishment in your travel program – you will not be bored here! In addition to the fact that you can get acquainted in detail with the life of Prince Bocskai, you can also visit the historical agricultural exhibition in the museum. It presents various exhibits from the field of agriculture, allowing you to clearly follow the technical progress in this area since the 19th century.
Visitors can also get acquainted with the bells made of aluminum by Edith Oborzil, a famous Hungarian bell caster. At one time, she and her husband Tibor Jenei donated several of these items to the city. Some of them are kept today in the symbolic bell hall of the Istvan Bocskai Museum and are part of its general collection. The permanent historical exhibition is located in the main building of the museum complex. It clearly tells the history of the city, and the most important rarity of the museum is the Bocskai flag, donated to it by the hajduks. The emblem of this flag can be seen in the Hajdú Charter in Szoboszló, as well as on the modern coat of arms of the city of Hajdúszoboszló. What else can you see in the museum? The exhibition includes many different exhibits: paintings from private collections, things of famous people born in Hajdúszoboszló.
Boys will not be able to tear themselves away from the stands with military exhibits, and girls will certainly be interested in the huge collection of insects and butterflies that are found in this area. The regional history exhibition introduces visitors to the museum to the history of these places, and there is also a permanent exhibition of folk art. Most visitors gather around the works of local folk artists living in Hajdúszoboszló. In the museum gallery there is a permanent exhibition of works by artists Gustav Csech and László Miskolczi – they were also born in Hajdúszoboszló. And in the courtyard of the museum there is a periodic “parade” of gravestones. The museum is located in a garden, which is very pleasant to walk in on a hot day. There are souvenir shops nearby, and if you are hungry, one of the local restaurants awaits you.
6. VILLAGE MUSEUM OF HAJDÚSZOBOSZLÓ:
The Village Museum in Hajdúszoboszló is an ethnographic complex, one of the most beloved by children, both schoolchildren and younger tourists. The museum displays exhibits that characterize the traditional life of local residents who have inhabited the area around this settlement since ancient times. The museum perfectly conveys the atmosphere of antiquity. It is located in a real village house, and all its exhibits are the private property of the residents of these places. You can go inside the building and examine the ancient life of local peasants in great detail, and soak up the village atmosphere.
When vacationing in Hajdúszoboszló with a child, drop in here one day: here you can see and learn a lot of interesting things and get in touch with the history of the past of this region. The exhibition is divided into thematic sections, and every visitor to the institution will find something interesting for themselves. Collections of tableware, sewing accessories, toys, bed linen – these are just a few of the things that will interest female visitors to the museum. And their companions will “hang out” for a long time near the stands with watches, mechanical tools, weapons. The museum is not open all the time – its visit must be agreed upon in advance in person or by phone. Perhaps someone will consider this an obstacle to visiting here. However, we promise that you will get unforgettable impressions from the establishment. They will become even brighter after visiting the local restaurant with a wine cellar.